Language of the elephants

ELEPHAS MAXIMUS (Penguin, Rs 350) by Stephen Alter is “A Portrait of the Indian Elephant”. The emotions and gestures of an elephant are so uncannily human that the 14th century lexicographer, Muhammad al-Damiri, is said to have suggested that the elephant would begin to speak if its tongue, which is upside down, is turned around. Until this happens, says Alter in the Prologue, he is recounting the elephants’ tales for them. His chronicle becomes a tribute to these fascinating creatures that are strong enough to uproot a sturdy tree and sensitive enough to respond to the slightest inflections of their mahout’s voice. But however powerful or intelligent the elephants might be, they are no match for man who has succeeded in dwindling their population significantly over the last few years. Alter’s book also becomes a plea to save these majestic animals before they are wiped out completely from the Asian subcontinent.

SATYADAS (Katha, Rs 75) by Bimal Kar has been translated from Bengali by Enakshi Chatterjee. This “amazing mystery” is an exploration of “truth, falsehood and everything in between”. A stranger with an unkempt look walks up to the grocery shop of Raghunath on a bleak afternoon of ceaseless drizzle. “You can call me Satyadas”, he says, and he will make Raghunath, as well as the readers, rediscover certain painful truths about human nature. Illustrated by Neeta Gangopadhya, this slim book is a must-read for the young and the old alike.

FAVOURITE STORIES FOR BOYS (Puffin, Rs 150) boasts of stories by authors like Ranjit Lal, Ruskin Bond, Jerry Pinto, Poile Sengupta and others. The boys in these pages do what they do best — fight with classmates, play cricket, unearth secrets or chase dragons. While all the stories are about boys —though not all of them are by them — girls are sure to love them too.

NATURAL WOMAN (Orient, Rs 175) by Penelope Sach claims to make women “beat fatigue, look radiant and take control of [their] health”. For every kind of ailment that a woman might suffer from, starting with obesity to insomnia, Sach has a remedy, which, if followed, will surely make a woman look like the ones in magazines. She will also feel good if she gets to use herbs with such fanciful names as St Mary’s thistle, cat’s claw and gotu kola for her disorders.